Web controlling mechanism



March 26, 1935. 1 E. .1. SMITH WEB CONTROLLING MECHANISM Filed Sept. 23,1931 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 26, 1935 WEB CONTROLLING MECHANISM ErnestJames Smith, Fleet; Street, England, as-

Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois signer to The Goss PrintingPress Company,

A pl cation September 23, 193;, Serial No. 564,597

The present invention relates to web controlling mechanism and moreparticularly to a new and improved web controlling mechanism forcontrolling the rotation of web rolls and the tension of paper webs fedto a high speed rotary printing press.

Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in parthereinafter and in part will be obvious herefrom, or may be learned bypractice with the invention, the same being realized and attained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations pointed out in-theappended claims.

The invention consists in the novel parts, constructions, arrangements,combinations and improvements herein shown and described.

The accompanying drawing, referred toherein and constituting a parthereof, illustrates one embodiment of the invention, and together withthe description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. i Ofthe drawing:-- I

Fig. 1' is a diagrammatic side elevation of j the present preferred andillustrative embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentarydetail, partly in section, ofthe pilot roller andbrake -controlling mechanism used in connection with the presentembodiment.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a webcontrolling mechanism which is particularly adapted for use withprinting presses running at extremely high speeds. A further object isthe provision of a web controlling mechanism in which means are providedfor tensioning the web fed to a web consuming machine and for stoppingrotation of the web roll when the press is shut down or the web breaks.A fur-' ther object is the provision of a web tensioning mechanismacting on the surface of the web roll in combination with a web rollcontrolling mechanism acting on the central portion of the web roll.Still another object is the provision of a simple, easily controlled andrelatively inexpensive mechanism by which the tension of the web and therotation ofthe web roll may be controlled in accordance with pressoperating conditions. I

Mechanisms have heretofore been provided for tensioning the web led to aprinting press by contact with the surface ofthe web roll, but when theweb is drawn from the web rollat extremely high speeds, the frictionbelts or straps cannot be easily pressed against the surface of the rollwith suflicient force to stop the rotation of the '1 Claims. (01.242-15) web roll as quickly as the outer layers of paper on the roll arestopped. In the operation of such mechanism at high speeds it is oftenfound that many of the outer layers of paper will be loose on the rollafter a sudden stopping of the web roll,

due to inner portions of the roll continuing to unwind within the outerlayers of the roll. This loosening of the outer layers complicates thestarting of the press, and at times causes breaking of the web.

In accordance with the present invention, the major portion or all ofthe web tension on the running web is produced by frictional contact ofa friction member against the surface of the web roll, and when thepress is stopped or the web breaks, the stopping of the web roll iseffected by braking mechanism operating on the central part of the webroll; as for instance on the web'roll end or core. The friction memberfor creating the web tension may be of any desired form, such as astationary or running belt or strap preferably. exerting a substantiallycon- Referring now in detail to the present pre- I ferred andillustrative embodiment of the present invention for use 'with aplurality of web rolls, a plurality of web rolls 10 are rotatablysupported in a magazine reel so that the active web of paper 11 may beled from one of the web rolls to the web consuming machine or printingpress. As is usual in this type of mechanism, the running web is ledfrom only one of the rails. 10 and as this roll becomes exhausted, a newweb roll is moved into position by rotation of the magazine reel and theweb lead is automatically or otherwise transferred from the expiring webroll to the next or reserve web roll, after which the exhausted web rollmay be'replaced.

The magazine reel comprises apair of plural armed supports 12 rotatablymounted on side frames 14 by means of shaft 15, said supports beingspaced apart to receive web rolls-10 .between them and being provided atthe outer ends of their arms with chucks or shafts 16, by which the webrolls are rotatably supported. Suitable means, not shown, may beprovided for rotating into web feeding position as required, and forholding the arms in the desired position during the normal operation ofthe mechanism.

For tensioning the web as it is fed from the rotating web roll to theprinting press, a friction member is provided, engaging the surface ofthe web roll and pressed into contact therewith with suflicient pressureto create the required or desired web tension. While this tensioningmechanism may be of widely diflerent forms, I preferably. employ aplurality of relatively stationary straps or aprons held in contact withthe surface of the web roll with a substantially constant pressure. Asembodied, there are provided a plurality of straps l7 supportedat theirupper ends above the running web roll on a shaft 18 and arranged side byside across the width of the web roll. These straps hang dovmwerdly,pass over idle pulleys 19, and at their lower ends are fastened toweights 20, one set 01' weights being provided for each strap, therebypermitting the straps to move independently of each other to conform toirregularities in the shape of the surface of the web roll. Shaft 18 andpulleys 19 are preferably arranged substantially in a line with the axisof the web roll in running position and weights 20 serve to maintainthem in contact with the web roll surface as it decreases in size.

To enable the operator to vary the tension on the web as required, theweights are preferably easily removed from their hanger 21 at the end ofthe strap, and weights may be added or removed to give the requiredpressure between the belts and the web roll surface.

In the present embodiment, the braking mechanism operating on the webroll, as distinguished from the periphery of the web roll, compriseselectromagnetic brakes which are adapted to be variably energized inaccordance with varying operating conditions and are applied with forcesufiicient to stop the rotation of the web roll when the press isstopped or the web of paper breaks. As'embodied, each brake comprises apair of brake shoes 24 pivoted at 25 on the outer end of an arm'12 andcoacting with a brake drum or pulley 26 fixed to the web roll shaft orchuck 16. At their inner ends, the brake shoes are provided witharmatures 27 which extend inwardly towards each other and into asolenoid 28.

Brake shoes 24 are normally'held apart from each other, and are appliedby energizing the solenoid 28, and, as embodied, the lower brake shoe isheld out of contact with the brake pulley by gravity when thecorresponding web roll is in running position, while the upper brakeshoe is raised out of contact with the brake pulley by means ofcompression spring 29, encircling the upper armature 27 and positionedbetween the upper shoe and the solenoid 28. This spacing of the brakeshoes'permits the brakes to be entirely released when no current ispassing through the solenoid.

Means are providedfor selectively'connecting the brake for the runningweb roll with brake controlling mechanism, and as embodied, a pair ofcommutator rings are mounted on one of the side frames and concentricwith the magazine reel shaft 15. These rings are each divided into aplurality of segments 30, corresponding in number to the number of webrolls supported in the reel and each segment is secured to an insulatingsupport 31 and are insulated from each other.

Segments are connected with their corresponding solenoids 28 and arepositioned on the reel to contact with brushes 32 so that as each newweb roll is brought into web feeding position, the corresponding brakefor the web roll is rendered operative.

Preferably, the belts or straps contacting with the surface of the webroll exert a substantially constant pressure against the web to create anormal tension slightly less than that required in the operation of thepress, and the difference between the tension set up by the straps andthe required tension is created by a light application of the brakes. Ifdesired, however, the straps may set up the entire normal tensionrequired, and the brakes'may be employed solely for the purpose ofstopping the rotation of the web roll.

For controlling the application of the brakes, a pilot roller isprovided and moves with changes in web tension to vary the force withwhich the brakes are applied. Pilot roller 36 is rotatably mounted inpivoted arms 37 carried by shaft 33 and is moved against the tension ofthe web by means of spring 39 coiled about shaft 38. One end of spring39 is held rigid with respect to the shaft 38, while the other endis'fastened to a sleeve 40, loosely mounted on shaft 38, this sleevebeing rotatable and held in any desired position by means of worm 41meshing with segment 42. The web 10 in passing to the press is loopedaround the pilot roller 36, and an increase in web tension moves thepilot roller in one direction, while a reduction in the web tensioncauses the pilot roller to move in the other direction.

At one end, pilot roller shaft 38 is fastened to a rheostat arm 43 whichcontacts with and is movable over a resistance 44, in series with theoperative web roll brake. Resistance 44 is connected at one end to thesource of power and the rheostat arm 43 is connected with one of thebrushes 32. As the tension of the web increases, additional resistanceis placed in circuit decreasing the braking applied to the web roll andreducing the tension, while a decrease in the web tension cuts-out aportion of the resistance to increase the braking on the web roll.Breakage of the web causes the pilot roller to move to cutout all theresistance applying the brakes with full force and quickly stopping theroll.

By varying the tension on the pilot roller spring 38, any desiredtension may be maintained, and by varying the weights 20 connected tothe straps l7 and raising the tension of the pilot roller spring, theentire required web tension may be set up by the straps, reserving thebrakes for the stopping of the roll.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specificmechanisms shown and described but departures may be made therefromwithin the scope of the accompanying claims without departing from theprinciples of the invention and without sacrificing its chiefadvantages.

I claim:

1. Web roll controlling mechanism including in combination means forrotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls, means for moving said'supporting means" to bring the web rolls successively into feedingposition, a friction member engaging the surface of the web roll andmovable relatively to the web roll support to tension the web drawn fromthe active roll, and electromagnetic brakes, one for each web roll, apilot roller controlled rheostat in circuit with said brakes and meansfor selectively rendering the active web roll brake operative.

2. Web roll controlling mechanism including in combination means forrotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls, means for moving saidsupporting means to bring successive web rolls into feeding position, apilot roller moved by changes in web tension, an electro-magnetic brakefor each web roll acting on the web roll shaft, means for variablyenergizing said brakes under control of the pilot roller, and means forselectively connecting the brake for the roll in feeding position withthe pilot roller control.

3. Web roll controlling mechanism including in combination means forrotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls, means for moving saidsupporting means to bring successive web rollsinto feeding position, apilot roller moved by changes in web tension, an electro-magnetic brakefor each web roll acting on the web roll shafts, means for supplyingenergizing current to each of the brakes,'means controlled bythe pilotroller for varying said current, and means for selectively connectingthe brake for the roll in feeding position with the current varyingmeans.

4. Web roll controlling mechanism including in combination means forrotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls, means for moving saidsupporting means to bring successive webrolls into feeding position, apilot roller moved by changes in web tension, an electro-magnetic brakefor each web roll acting on the axial portion of the web roll, arheostat controlled by said pilot roller and means for connecting saidrheostat in series with the brake for the roll in feeding position bymovement of a roll to feeding position.

5. Web roll controlling mechanism including in combination a rotatablesupport for rotatably &

supporting a plurality oi web rolls, means for moving said supportingmeans to bring successive web rolls into feeding position, a pilotroller moved by changes in web tension, an electro-magnetic brake foreach web roll acting on the web roll shaft, means for variablyenergizing said brakes under control of the pilot roller, and means forselectively connecting the brake for the roll in feeding position withthe pilot roller control.

6. Web roll controlling mechanism including in combination a rotatablesupport for rotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls, means formoving said supp rting means to bring successive web rolls into feedingposition, a pilot roller moved by changes in web tension, anelectro-magnetic brake for each web roll acting on the axial portion ofthe web roll, a rlieostat controlled by said pilot roller and means forconnecting said rheostat in series with the brake tor the roll infeeding position by movement of a roll to feeding position.

'7. Web roll controlling mechanism including in combination means forrotatably supporting a plurality of web rolls, means for moving saidsupporting means to bring successive web rolls into feeding position, apilot roller moved by changes in web tension, an electro-magnetic brakeforeach web roll acting on the web roll shafts, means for supplyingenergizing current to each of the brakes, means controlled by the pilotroller for varying said current, and automatic means for selectivelyconnecting the brake for the roll in feeding position with the currentvarying means by movement of a web roll to feeding position. 1

EFL-NEST JAMES; Sll/ETH.

